ExPatriatePen wrote:Personally, I think this was the Pens last chance, for a while anyway, of having as good of a shot at Lord Stanley's 'Cup for a while.

I have no doubt we'll make the Playoffs next year, but I think the road only gets tougher from here.

The 1993 team was way better.

Well, you may have a point there, better coached for sure, but that wasn't the point of my post.

I'm wondering if we'll even get this far again for a while.

Partially, I'm implying that we had a really good run, by the same token I think we missed out on an excellent opportunity (like '93) and those chances don't come around very often.

Having said that, the Odd thing is that the Champions for the last three years are still in it. (Doesn't bode well for my favorite team left ('Hawks) tonight)

One reason to agree with your point is the age of this team, especially at forward. Dupuis, Cooke, Kunitz, and Iginla, Morrow all are in the mid-30's range and of course all of them will not be back. Add to age issue the goaltending situation and from a personnel standpoint things do not look very promising. I still believe if they get the right coach in here, with the proper balance of offense and defense they will be contenders to get to the ECF soon. Maybe not next year but soon.

I don't think this is our last shot for a while at all. Shero will keep this team in contention. We have a logjam on the blueline with good prospects trying to come in the league. We don't have any horrible contracts and we have some options with players right now who are tradeable. We need a good coach first. I think as long as we have Crosby and Malkin we will be a team contending for a cup. Just need to keep pieces around them and have somebody can put them in a position to win.

Look at Boston, they aren't stacked and have been as solid as anybody in the east during the last five years. Honestly, part of me wonders if the penguins win a cup in 2009 if Carolina does not upset Boston in the second round. They have been really good and do it based off of hard work, buying into a system, and above average talent. I don't see any reason why the penguins can't do the same thing.

This entire season, including the ending, did remind me somewhat of '93. For me, as a early twenty something, I was devastated, much like many twenty somethings are in this series loss.

- Both teams were dominant all year. However, this year was a 48 game schedule- Both teams had a player get his face smashed in affecting the team. Stevens in '93, Crosby late season- Both teams were cup favorites

The '93 loss in OT will hopefully remain as the single most painful memory I will ever have as a Pens fan (although I cried as a kid when the Isles beat the Pens in '82). This loss became possible after the game two debacle, unlike the Volek OT winner.

I just hold solace in thinking those Detroit teams from (wow) 95-09, and the Devils who won 3 in 9 years, even they got bounced early several times and had heartbreakers. Obviously things are different, but thats the hope I have that even the best of teams fail miserably for a few years and come back and win time and again.

The 2013 Pens remind me more of the 96 Pens who appeared dominant until they played a well-coached team. They, too, were too proud and stubborn to change.

The woes of the 2013 Pens are only similar to the 93 Pens at a superficial level. In addition to other factors such as Mario's battle with cancer and early return, what truly killed the 93 team, IMO, is the deep rift that developed between Bowman and the players. The 93 was also, I would guess, a few years older on average. The Pens of the 90s would go on to be a team that catered too much to the wishes of certain influential players highlighted by bad trades (Hatcher) and weak coaches (Johnston).

The 2013 team is still in its prime with as good chance as any team to remain a perennial contender for at least the next few seasons.

DudeMan2766 wrote:I just hold solace in thinking those Detroit teams from (wow) 95-09, and the Devils who won 3 in 9 years, even they got bounced early several times and had heartbreakers. Obviously things are different, but thats the hope I have that even the best of teams fail miserably for a few years and come back and win time and again.

This. Plus look at the Spurs 4 titles over 11 years. As long as the Pens have Crosby and Malkin they will have a shot.

DudeMan2766 wrote:I just hold solace in thinking those Detroit teams from (wow) 95-09, and the Devils who won 3 in 9 years, even they got bounced early several times and had heartbreakers. Obviously things are different, but thats the hope I have that even the best of teams fail miserably for a few years and come back and win time and again.

That's a great call. Especially with regard to DET, I think it's important to recognize and emulate the culture of winning the organIzation breeds... step one, in my opinion, becomes adopting a change in strategy.

I think the Pens win the cup next year, but it'll take an organizational enema, clearing out the old and bringing in a new style / new supporting cast. No longer will the Pens be the annual paper champions. Which means they'll actually have to work for their success.

I really don't know about this loss vs 1993. I was in the stands for Volek's dynasty-ending OT goal. Frankly, I was depressed for weeks afterward, well after the cup had been won by Montreal. This loss is pretty disheartening as well, but I'm taking it a lot better.

I think this team can be salvaged, especially if coaching changes are made. I also think that Mario, having experienced both losses, will not stand still for another epic fail (which is what this was).

This loss wasn't that bad and I think people will realize that once some time passes. This feels a lot like losing the 2001 conference finals to the Devils, that was a disappointing end to a fun season but it was simply running into a more complete team that could shut a big offense down. No one really mentions that series very often.

I thought Montreal 2010 was the worst of the recent playoff disappointments. They had at least a really good chance at a third straight final and it ended against an eighth seed. That was a lot more analogous to '93 and was the beginning of a string of disappointments. Also a really crappy way to close the Igloo.

I also felt a lot worse a year ago. They were supposedly favorites then too and before you knew it, the playoffs barely started and they were down 3-0. They blew two big early leads in the first two games then embarrassed themselves by throwing a tantrum in game three. That game made me embarrassed to be a Pens fan.

This year sucks but the way the teams advanced they were in for a really tough road the final two rounds if they were going to win it. This isn't the end of an era. They will be strong next year and for years to come. Bopefully another year real soon everything comes together for them again to win a Cup.

aside from our goaltending, i don't really see a big difference between this series and the montreal series. we lost to a hot team that executed their strategy at a high level, but was still a team we severely outperformed in the regular season. if you feel ok about this loss, why should montreal sting so much?

Boston is a much better team than Montreal and a worthy opponent. Maybe the way the Pens lost was a bit ridiculous but losing to Boston was not. There's no excuse for them to have ever lost to Montreal that year.

I'm not ok with the loss. I just don't agree with the hysteria. This isn't the end of an era, need to clean house moment that it's being billed as. On the scale of disappointment, I don't feel nearly as bad as the other seasons post-Cup win except for maybe 2011. That one was expected but still hurt since they blew a 3-1 lead.